‘Wong & Winchester’ leads hope viewers will root for the scrappy duo in Citytv comedy

TORONTO - Grace Lynn Kung says “Wong & Winchester” is the show she always dreamt of doing.

The “Sort Of” actor says she’s been fortunate working onheavier and critically acclaimed projects, but her heart has always leaned towards comedy and drama.

“I love that our show is both serious and ridiculous,” said Kung, who is one of the leads in the upcoming prime-time Citytv series about two fumbling private detectives solving cases in Montreal. “I really love the dialogue.”

She also says the show's tone finds a balance by having gentle and caring moments between the two main characters — Marissa Wong, an unpleasant ex-cop and Sarah Winchester, a somewhat pampered young millennial keener — showcasing their dynamic while leaning into dark humour.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield to guest star on ‘Murdoch Mysteries’ episode Monday

TORONTO - Astronaut Chris Hadfield's next adventure will be a blast to the past with an upcoming guest role on "Murdoch Mysteries."

The retired space veteran will add another notch to his modest acting career through a small part on an episode of the detective series set to air Monday on CBC and CBC Gem.

The storyline follows the pending arrival of Halley’s comet which has left Constable George Crabtree and the constabulary to contend with hysterical citizens portending the end of the world, and a doomsayer who is murdered.

Hadfield plays a self-proclaimed “Rocketman,” who thinks that the populace should instead be embracing the once-in-a-lifetime event.

Mattea Roach to appear on “Jeopardy! Masters” spinoff show

TORONTO - Canadian "Jeopardy" champion Mattea Roach will face off against other elite players in a new spinoff picked up by ABC.

"Jeopardy! Masters" will pit six recent super-champions against each other.

A different combination of competitors will play two "high-stakes games" in each hour-long episode.

The first class of "masters" will also include Matt Amodio, Sam Buttrey, Andrew He, James Holzhauer and Amy Schneider.

List of nominees for the 2023 SAG Awards

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nominations for the 29th annual Screen Actor Guild Awards, which will be handed out on Feb. 26 in Los Angeles and shown live on Netflix:

FILM

Ensemble: “Babylon”; “The Banshees of Inisherin”; “Everything Everywhere All at Once”; “The Fabelmans”; ““Women Talking.”

Male actor in a leading role: Austin Butler, “Elvis”; Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”; Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”; Bill Nighy, “Living”; Adam Sandler, “Hustler.”

Dive into some promising debuts while awaiting return small-screen faves

Already, 2023 is shaping up to be a banner year for the small screen.

New this week: Margo Price and ‘Gold, Lies & Videotape’

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.

MOVIES

— In “I Didn't See You There,” filmmaker Reid Davenport captures his perspective navigating the world in a wheelchair as a disabled man with cerebral palsy. The film, which premieres Monday as part of PBS's “POV,” is a portrait of the challenges many with disabilities face and their often invisible struggle. (In one scene, Davenport is stuck on an airplane after landing.) But it's also the work of a keenly observant filmmaker, with an eye for beauty and a uniquely poetic point of view. Davenport shot this autobiographical film largely with a handheld camera and, sometimes, with one affixed to his wheelchair. Last year, the film won him the documentary directing prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

— The title of Sierra Pettengill's “Riotsville, USA” refers to a fake town the U.S. military created in the 1960s to hold exercises mimicking police and military response to rioting. The drills, staged in front of cardboard storefronts, helped make a violent playbook for controlling the era's social unrest. “A door swung open in the late ’60s,” reads Charlene Modeste in narration penned by essayist Tobi Haslett. “And someone, something, sprang up and slammed it shut.” Using archival footage from those exercises, “Riotsville, U.S.A,” which debuts Thursday on Hulu, wearily surveys the militarization of the police force.

Bill Cosby documentary spotlights role of community in healing from trauma

TORONTO - Though it may be called "The Case Against Cosby," a new documentary soon to premiere on CBC TV focuses more on some of the women who came forward with allegations against the comedian — and what it takes for them to heal from lasting trauma.

The film, which debuts on Sunday, focuses on the story of Andrea Constand, bringing her together for the first time in person with four other women who have come forward with sexual assault allegations against Cosby, who has consistently maintained his innocence.

They gathered at a retreat led by the Hungarian-Canadian physician Gabor Mate, with shots of the meeting interwoven throughout the film. There, they discussed their specific allegations against Cosby and the broader effects trauma has on a person.

"I think one of the most important things for healing trauma is recognizing that you're not alone," said Toronto-based director Karen Wookey. "In community, the opportunity to heal is so much greater because it's a safe container."

‘Run the Burbs’ has a new showrunner and renewed focus on authenticity for Season 2

TORONTO - Newly minted “Run the Burbs” showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell firmly believes that authenticity is a central part of diverse storytelling — from the script to diverging perspectives on set that express what is real versus “what doesn’t feel true.”

“You see it all the time, I mean just growing up watching shows with Black characters would feel wrong and off,” says Farrell, who was also showrunneron the CBC sci-fi comedy “Overlord and theUnderwoods.”

“Then you find out all the writers are white guys from Harvard, and you’re like, 'Well, that’s the problem.'”

The architecture of inclusive and relatable television is rooted in the writers' room, says Farrell. It’s what informed the first season of “Run the Burbs” and continues in the second, which airs Wednesday nights on CBC and streams on CBC Gem.

‘That ’90s Show,’ ‘The Menu,’ ‘The Last of Us’ among January streaming highlights

TORONTO - Here's a look at some of the standout TV series and films debuting on subscription streaming platforms in January:

“That ‘90s Show”

Swap out your bell bottoms for cargo pants and disco records for grunge CDs. Many things changed in the two decades between “That '70s Show” and its new sitcom update, but one hasn’t: Red and Kitty Forman. The Wisconsin parents watched their teenage son Eric grow up and marry his high school sweetheart Donna. And now, their granddaughter Leia is staying with them for the summer. That’s where “That ‘90s Show” picks up, as the cast quickly eases back into the familiar suburban habits: from high school crushes to getting high in the basement. Newcomer Callie Haverda steals the show as the youngest Forman, while many of the original “That '70s Show” cast members return for appearances throughout the season. (Netflix, Jan. 19)

"The Menu"

From being bullied to falling in love, Mark Critch mines the past for ‘Son of a Critch’ S2

TORONTO - When Mark Critch stepson the set of “Son of a Critch,” wearing his dad’s signature aviator framesand a 1980s-styled fully buttoned suit and tie, it's a chance for the 48-year-old actor to reminisce about his upbringing.

“The weird thing is that a lot of my family’s furniture is on set. I’m dressed like my father, so every now and then while we’re filming, I have this weird, strange memory,” says Critch, who resumes the role of his father, Mike Critch, in the second season.

“You get lost in it and I forget that this show is about me. These characters are ghosts, and these people are making these ghosts real for me.”

Based on his 2020 memoir, the second season of “Son of a Critch,”set in the 1980s, resumes the St. John’s, N.L., life story of a 12-year-old Critch, played by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth.

Another Canadian joins growing trend of ‘Jeopardy’ super-champions

TORONTO - It's not your imagination: "Jeopardy" streaks are getting longer.

Ray Lalonde, the Toronto-based scenic artist who's won 11games and counting, is just the latest in a new generation of trivia titans to take up residence on the Alex Trebek Stage.

After Thursday's game, Lalonde had amassed US$311,500.

Consider also Mattea Roach, the 24-year-old Canadian "Jeopardy" phenom who won 23 straight games earlier this year, giving her the fifth-longest streak in the show's history.

From funny to freaky: Five Canadian films and TV shows to watch over the holidays

TORONTO - One of the most cherished modern traditions of the December holiday break is the opportunity to gather with those closest to you...and binge-watch television.

With so much great programming at our fingertips, sometimes it's hard to know where to start, but here are five Canadian TV series and films worth fitting into your plans this holiday season.

1. "Viking"

As the first manned trip to Mars gets underway, a ragtag group of faux astronauts are recruited for a two-and-a-half-year parallel mission on Earth. The goal is to study their every move in hopes of heading off any conflicts between the real astronauts in orbit. Quebec director Stephane Lafleur uses that framing as the launch pad for a deadpan comedy about human relationships and the roles we play.